


victoria

by akuli



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Canon Compliant, Multiple Pronouns for Eret (Video Blogging RPF), Somewhat, this is essentially just a rewrite of the “i don’t need this crown scene”
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:02:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27800455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akuli/pseuds/akuli
Summary: “ - What do you think gives you power?”“ … those who are given power hold onto it.”(To have power is to be selfish. To have power is to leap into a hole you carved meticulously into the wall and listen to the cries of children forced to grow up far too quickly. To have power is to build towers curling like a snake into the clouds to watch as they rebuild. To have power is to spin a perennial crown between your fingertips and feel nothing but regret.)
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 27





	victoria

**Author's Note:**

> This was started the day of the second war, but I lost motivation halfway through. It’s finally done, however, so I’m just throwing it on here and hoping people enjoy it.

Alastair is about to step into one of the two of the towers they have built that support the archway that visitors pass through in order to enter their abode, welcome or not, when they feel a tug against their cloak. They turn carefully, as to not cause any damage to the… _very_ expensive material, to find Dream, who releases his hold on their cape as soon as they face him properly. As per usual, he is decked out in armor that flickers the color of hyacinth, like artificial light against water despite the circular, unsettlingly pristine white mask that frames his face. 

“ What’s up man?” Dream doesn’t visit her often, and she is acutely aware that the timing of this rendezvous could mean something she’d rather not have to deal with minutes before war.

“ I need to talk to you about something.”

“ Oh. Okay, uh,” She gestures towards the bridge that connects her castle with the wall surrounding it “ we could go into my castle, I think that’d be a good place. No chance for prying ears.”

“ Okay. Let’s go to your throne room, in that case.”

“ It’s a bit filled with flamingos at the moment, I hope you don’t mind,” The thought of his creations, all rough-edged skinny wooden legs with colorful wool in the shape of the animals brings a slight smile back to his face.

“ No that’s fine, that’s perfectly fine.”

The journey across the river that flows between the castle and empties into the community house is quiet. Alastair doesn’t know what Dream wants from them, but they know that he wouldn’t be here if he didn’t.

“ So... what’s up man?” He takes his place on the throne, carved from the glow of the dangerous, yet eerily beautiful magma that terraforms the Nether in the same way that water does in the normal world.

“ Uh, nothing much, obviously a big war is happening today,” there’s a lapse of silence in which he thinks Dream expects him to respond. They don’t have anything to say yet, though, so Dream simply clears his throat and continues“ So, as king of this land, which, that’s what you are, and have been-“

“ Yeah-”

“ - What do you think gives you power?”

“ … those who are given power hold onto it.”

(To have power is to be selfish. To have power is to leap into a hole you carved meticulously into the wall and listen to the cries of children forced to grow up far too quickly. To have power is to build towers curling like a snake into the clouds to watch as they rebuild. To have power is to spin a perennial crown between your fingertips and feel nothing but regret.)

“ Okay. How?”

(Through the arrow that pierces Tommy’s ribs. In the blankness of Tubbo’s eyes as Alastair watches once, as he tears down the walls she built for him, and again, when Nikki tells him, making a point to obscure her face despite them being able to tell how strained her voice is, how Tubbo was encased in dandelions, and of his bravery, not uttering a sound. Fundy, who she found hunched over the blackened fabric of a columbine uniform that made him simultaneously unique and forgettable to the one man he desperately tried to please. Quackity, whose conviction makes the decision between Coconut2020 and Swag2020 that much harder)

“ I think respect is a big thing.”

“ Sure, respect is big,” He meets her gaze “ If respect is the only thing protecting you from a knife in the back, respect is nothing, right?”

“ … what are you saying, Dream?”

“ I’m saying that you don’t have power because of your crown, you have power because of me, and the other members of my nation like Punz and Sapnap that give you power by protecting you and protecting your kingsmanship,” Dream looks up from where he was idly turning his prized crossbow in his hands, prompting her to respond,” Am I wrong?”

“ You’re not wrong.”

“ Now I'm not saying for you to do anything, I’m actually saying the opposite, you should do nothing because you are the king of this nation. This is a war between two different sides, our nation is not involved, and by getting involved, or implying involvement, you are…” 

“ You are the king. You stay neutral. You let Pogtopia and L’Manberg work it out, and see what happens, and hopefully,” There is purpose in the way his fingers move up, behind his ear, and loosen the mask just enough to let it slip, revealing the triumph in the hooked ends of his smile “ Hopefully there will be neither afterwards, and it’s only more land for you, right?”

(Alastair has not forgotten the other reason why Dream chose them. They know he is meticulous with his games, and there is a purpose to everything he does.)

“ So your plan is that they cancel each other out, and then we reap the benefits.”

  
  


“ My plan is that there is no Manburg, there’s no L’Manburg, there’s no Pogtopia, there’s just Dream SMP, and there’s Dream SMP everywhere, and that’s been my plan since the very beginning. I’ve never wavered on that. That’s why I had you betray them, and that’s why I gave you kingship, because I felt like you’d be a good king because you’re neutral.”

They assume Dream notices the tightness of their jaw, because he continues after only a moment of tense silence “ I know you don’t- I feel like you don’t push for power, you’re not vengeful, you don’t hold grudges, you’re very neutral, you’re kind of the head of everything, you sit there, and you look pretty, and that’s it.”

She feels the roots of the morning sky lilies loosen around her head to allow the dark petals of petunias to blossom with orchids “ Yeah.”

“ Alright?”

“ Yes sir.”

“ Okay,” She gets the sense, despite the mask obstructing his body language that he is satisfied “ well, that’s all I really have to say, I just have to say… just, remember where your power comes from, because it doesn’t come from a pretty little crown, it comes from an axe and a shield.”

“ I understand.”

“ Alright,” Dream pulls up his shield and turns away, beginning to walk towards the entrance “ I will… see you soon.”

She waits, in tense silence, until she can no longer hear armored boots against wood, and then relaxes into her chair with a drawn out sigh “ … fuck…. The issue is… like, I can’t fight back with him. He’s too strong, he’s too powerful, I literally can’t. There’s not much I can do.”

“ and I know he’s right,” He thinks of why he agreed to Dream’s offer in the first place, how pitiful the original members of L’manburg looked, pinned down under merciless netherite swords, a crossbow under Tommy’s chin “ I want to push this redemption arc… I really want to push this redemption arc, but he’s right.”

“ He’s right,” Her eyes trace the curve of the flamingo's neck, and she thinks of Fundy. Perhaps they miss him more than they’d like to admit “ I could give up everything, and help Pogtopia, and then maybe we could band together and overthrow Dream.”

(Realistically, she knows that if Dream has Sapnap and George on his side, he will win regardless. It’s a nice thought to entertain, though, even if just for a moment.)

“ Maybe I can maintain my crown. Pogtopia doesn’t trust me, the very nation I am supposedly the king of is threatening me…”

(You have a choice to make, Alastair. You lose either way. What do you crave more; safety under a dictator, but one who has granted you far more riches than you allowed yourself to even think of, or your family, who can offer you nothing but a satiation to the insatiable loneliness you feel?)

“ Don’t negotiate with tyrants,” She mutters, rising from the throne slowly, one finger dragging along the cool metal of the armrest “ I’m going to help my friends. I think that’s the right thing to do.”

(Alastair is tired of waiting for Tommy and Wilbur to accept them. They are not owed forgiveness, and they know that, but they will not stand idly by and watch their friends crumble into ruins. They deserve to be something, whether that be hero, villain, or something in between) 

“ I think that’s the right thing to do,” He breathes, feeling like himself again “ I don’t need this crown.”

* * *

Alistar runs all the way to L’Manburg. It feels strangely good, as there’s no real hurry, and, for the first time in a long time, she is doing something for the sake of her family. She passes a few of the others who have managed to dodge war this long, like Hbomb, who she doesn’t have the heart to let know about the castle yet. 

He slows when she reaches Tommy’s house, catching sight of most of the familiar L’manburg faces, with the exception of Alex. She scales the hill, reaching the top and approaching Tubbo, who doesn’t notice until she gently taps his arm.

“ Dream threatened my kingship.” The words fall unprompted, from his mouth, and all of them are shocked into silence for a moment.

“ … what?” 

“ Can he do that?” Tubbo looks to Alex first, which is a surprise, although not an unwelcome one “ I thought a king was a lord of the land.”

“ Okay, uh,” He exchanges a look with Tubbo, the type Alastair’s only seen Tubbo share with Tommy before. Despite the atmosphere, she can’t help but to feel proud of him, at the realization that Tubbo finally has another friend “ shit. That’s…”

“ - something we have to talk about later,” Tubbo finishes, and Alastair’d forgotten how much they  _ missed  _ his smile “I’m sorry, Al, but we were actually planning on getting up on the lemon tree and talking about a strategy. It’ll have to wait.”

“ That’s okay,” She’s, frankly, relieved one of the original members L’Manburg is even giving her a chance to prove herself “ I understand. Take your time, and be safe. We don’t want you getting hurt right before the big battle.”

The same ache she feels to reach out and mess with their hair is seemingly echoed in the way he inches forward, for a moment, before Alastair feels a body collide with hers and stumbles. They tear their gaze away from the duo and recognize Nikki, whose arms encircle their waist, and Fundy, who is clad in similar netherite armor as Dream, but holds a shiny, new crossbow loaded with fireworks as opposed to Dream’s sword.

“ Eret!”

“ Hey there, stranger,” The angle in which he leans down to reciprocate the hug is awkward, as she, as well as most of his friends, are far smaller than him, but he doesn’t really care, because it’s Nikki,” how’re you doing?”

“ Oh you know,” She releases him, stepping back and taking her place next to Fundy “ not great. But I missed you.”

“ I missed you too,” They meet Fundy’s gaze,” you as well.”

“ Listen. Eret,” She manages to suppress her laughter at how serious Fundy’s trying to sound “ you’re not on our side, are you?”

“ I’m trying to be.” He’s honest, at the very least, in that. 

“ Eret-”

“ Dream’s upset with me.” 

“ I’ve been - “ She can see the moment on his face when her words register, because the blackness of his eyes widen “ Dream’s upset with you?”

“ He threatened my kingship.”

“ He threatened your kingship?” Fundy and Nikki’s voices overlap, one in a tone of disbelief, and the other pure anger

“Yeah.”

“ Oh my god-”

“ He,” She catches sight of him, shield resting in a position that would signify truce if it was anyone else, on the land that separates L’Manburg and it’s oppressor. He can feel the disappointment in the way Dream does not move an inch when Nikki and Fundy turn with him “ he said that you don’t get that crown without respect, you don’t get that crown without power.”

Alex and Tubbo come back together, speaking quietly to each other and with the latter carefully removing wooden splinters from his hands. They come to sit on the side of the hill that Nikki’s house is buried into, and where one of his towers casts a shadow over L’manburg, while she herself paces by the fence.

Techno joins them about a minute later, once she’s already caught Alex and Tubbo up. He’s welding the trident that seems to be the only material possession he cares about, other than the netherite sword fastened to his belt. “ Oh boy, it’s Eret.” He remarks, taking a place behind Toby and Alex, leaning against one of the fences that line the border of L’manburg.

  
  
  


“ Hello to you too, Techno,” She replies. 

“ Eret-” Tubbo starts, but Alex holds up a hand, effectively cutting his sentence force with what Alsistar can only assume is supposed to be an ultimatum. 

“ Eret, within a minute you need to make a choice. What’re you gonna do?” 

“ Guys I think Eret’s the traitor.”

Alex’s expression drops from one of careful analysis to exasperation as he turns to Techno,” Eret’s not even-”

“ Dream threatened me-” 

“ - on our side!”

“ He’s gonna betray us a second time!” She thinks it’s rather funny, that Techno uses the word “us” when referring to who could possibly be the traitor. Alasistr knows L’manburg wouldn’t have been able to start a war if not for the netherite mined by the latter, but “us”, when used by a man who’s only lived through part of a revolution, is rather funny to her.

“Dream threatened me.”

“ Techno-” Alex shakes his head in a way that would come off as condescending if he was addressing anyone except Techno. After a moment, his attention turns back to Alastair, though, and his voice softens in the way of someone who’s comforting a child “ what’d he say? What happened?”

“ He came up to me and said-”

“ Double betrayal,” Techno emphasizes, although the position of Nikki’s eyebrows and the way Toby’s holding his face makes it clear that nobody truly believes his assertion.

“ He told me,” She continues, after those who are able to laugh compose themselves “ he asked me what do you think keeps you in power.”

“ Ah.”

“ What?”

“ - and I said I hope it’s respect-“ 

“ What?”

“ And he said no, it’s me, it’s me and the rest of the Dream SMP.” She finishes, her voice strained from trying to speak over the incessant noise.

“ Oh no,” and Tubbo sounds genuinely apologetic, which only serves to fuel the mourning that’s already begun in his gut. She thinks, maybe, this is how Tommy felt, giving up his disks, and seeing them given to people who’ve much less to gain than Dream.

“ What?”

“ Guys, I’m gonna be honest, I think it’s Fundy-” 

“ - Eret! Can I talk to you for a moment?” Alastair is somewhat relieved to see Nikki and Alex start Dream’s sudden appearance as well.

“ What for?” 

“ Just a quick chat.”

“ Eret, it’ll just be a moment.” Punz chimes in from behind Dream, and George stands next to him, the expression on his face one of a child who’s 

“ Yeah, Eret, it’s no big deal.” Just about everyone who remains with the exception of Karl, Dream, and Punz respond to George’s statement with a look of disbelief, or irritation. The man is the  _ last _ person who should be determining what matters are urgent.

“ Don’t worry, Eret, we’ll talk later,” She feels Tubbo’s hand touch her arm, and he moves to give her a sideways hug before stepping back and gesturing to the rest of the group “ I want to go on a walk with Nikki anyways.”

“ And I would love to talk to Big Q for a second,” Karl, who, similar to Dream, spawns out of nowhere. Alex himself doesn’t look too keen on the idea, but follows his old friend.

“ Hey Punz, help me escort Eret it- c’mon, Eret,” Dream holds out a gloved hand, and Punz is behind them within seconds. She can feel the sharp edge of the sword resting on her back, and she gets the distinct sense that she will not be allowed to go about her businesses until she complies.

They do not take Dream’s hand, but follow after him as he begins up the bridge that formally connects her kingdom with L’manburg. Especially as they pass Purpled, she feels, distinctly, like this display is yet another show of power. 

When they reach the community house, stepping over the various holes in the floor, Dream speaks “ So I don’t know if you remember, but during the first war, whenever we were establishing that you were the king, we established a chain of command, do you remember that?”

“ … from my perspective, you gave me the kingship.” She doesn’t like the direction of this conversation already, despite Punz’s sword being removed from her back as he moves to take a place next to Dream.

“ Yes and we have that chain of command as well after that, so afterwards we had George as the second in command,” He explains, gesturing for Alistar to follow him as George bounds up the stairs of his caste with childlike excitement. Dream leads her to the throne room, although he blocks her when she attempts to sit on the throne. “So… Eret, I need you to take your crown off.”

“ I… my eyes.”

(She remembers the look on Tommy’s face when he registered the amaryllis coloring, not simply a subtle glow, of the entirety of her eyes. He plays it off, screaming in mock terror and yelling about the legend of Herobrine, but he never makes her feel as if she’s a danger because of it)

“ Alright, I need you to do it.”

“ I can’t.”  _ I don’t want to. _

“ You’ve gotta do it,” Her jaw tightens as both Dream sighs and moves closer to her, one hand slowly, deliberately, moving to the hilt of his sword “ Alright, I’m not asking you, there’s three of us here.”

“ Wait… why is this happening?” George asks, but the tension between the king and the ruler renders his attempt for clarification futile. 

“ I can’t do this.” _ I won’t do this. _

“ You can do it the easy way or the hard way, Eret, but you’re doing it.”

She bites her tongue, a gesture that she intends to be defiance, but knows can be interpreted as cowardice. Dream knows she has nothing left to lose, and so he sighs and turns his attention to his confused best friend “ So just to let you know, George, Eret has betrayed our nation, and has decided to side with Pogtopia in the war, and help them with their naughty behavior.”

“ Why?”

“ And actually, the only thing I advised him of, I told him to stay neutral, I didn’t even say he has to help us, I just said he should stay neutral as king but,” She turns her gaze on Callahan, avoiding Dream’s eyes, although hidden behind that same, smiling mask. She can hear the conviction in his voice “ He didn’t listen.”

“ Eret… You’re just gonna stand there?”

There is more confusion in George’s voice than actual betrayal, which makes sense. Alastair never cared to be part of Dream’s group, nor do they believe for a second that any of the nation is truly hurt by this “betrayal”

“ Friendship’s-”

“ The crown,” Punz cuts her off “ the crown, please, Eret.”

“ I can’t believe you betrayed us-”

“ Eret, just take off the crown and we’ll be fine Eret, we’ll be fine, take off the crown,” When she remains silent, he sighs, and continues to carry much of this strange confrontation they have had today “ Well, if you want, you can put your crown back on you know, once you’re outside and you’re away from here and it doesn’t mean anything, but, in here, you take it off.”

“ I can’t do this man, I’m sorry.”

“ … what do we do now?”

“ Alright, let’s escort him out of the castle. Eret,” Dream is mere feet away shield in front of him, and sword raised at the ready. They both know who truly wields the power “get out,” and Alaistar obeys, turning and fleeing as to avoid the pleasure two of the three people in his castle would take in stabbing him.

“ He’s just- he’s just leaving?” 

“ See you guys,” He tries to make his voice playful, acting as if he doesn’t care as much as the shakiness of his legs betrays him.

“ Don’t come back.”

“ Just make sure he goes all the way out, Punz.” Dream calls after the duo, lingering on Alistair for only a moment before turning to George, the joy of his tone infused with antagonism “ George, congratulations! This whole castle is yours!”

“ I’m the king?”

“ You’re the king!”

(He’s the king, Dream tells Wilbur, nasturtium petals slipping between his fingers as he holds out a hand, pride in the way Tubbo won’t meet her eyes, and she feels the thorns of roses she always meant to give dig into her heart as Tommy regards her without a word, and Fundy, who simply remembers)

“ This is my castle?”

He stops just barely outside of his former home. Punz is standing in the middle of the bridge, shield resting against the wood and fingers loosely curled around the hilt, but he is unimportant as Alastair regards his greatest creation. Her eyes find the glass that took an entire day to dye their respective colors, and the flag, the wind making a valiant effort to make it wave back and forth. They swallow a scream, or perhaps, a cry, as they catch sight of Callahan, who, even with iron armor, has more than them now, taking down one of the flamingos in the entryway of the castle. 

He thinks of Nikki’s fox, named after her best friend, slain without reason. She thinks of Tommy losing his first pet to ego, and his second to justice that only seems to apply to those with power. He thinks of Tubbo, chased thrice by Dream and injured to the brink of death as a show of power. 

He thinks he is tired of injustice, but he cannot help the grief that swells in his chest as he observes the castle, only hoping George is not as malicious as Dream.

(And later, when she clings to a wooden ladder that feels as if it’s about to snap beneath her, fumbling to knock an arrow to her bow, when Tommy holds a hand out to her as the others begin their descent, she will take it and know she made the right choice.) 

  
  
  
  



End file.
